Governor Greg Abbott today attended the grand opening of Interamerican Foods Corporation's new La Moderna plant in Cleburne, Texas. This new $50 million plant is La Moderna's first in the United States. As Mexico’s largest pasta manufacturer, the company has selected Texas as the first location in an effort to expand their presence in the country. Governor Abbott thanked La Moderna for their investment in Texas and the Cleburne community.

“Today’s grand opening represents more than an economic investment, it is an investment in the Texas-Mexico relationship,” said Governor Abbott. “It is because of investments like this that the Texas economy continues to be the envy of the nation for economic growth and job creation. I thank Interamerican Foods Corporation and La Moderna for their investment, and I look forward to continuing to strengthen this partnership.”

“We are proud to not only have built La Moderna’s first facility in the United States, but also to have created one of the most high-tech and self-sufficient factories in the history of food manufacturing,” Luis Miguel Monroy, Chairman of the Board at La Moderna. “The end result reflects the convergence of our Mexican heritage and dedication to product quality, Texas’ entrepreneurial spirit and business-friendly climate, and unparalleled stateof-the-art production technology. This truly marks the pinnacle of La Moderna’s goal of becoming a household name, not just in Mexico, but in the United States.”

In addition to the grand opening ceremony, Governor Abbott toured the 150,000 square-foot production, manufacturing, and distribution facility. As one of the most technologically advanced factories in the U.S., it is capable of producing nearly 4,000 tons of pasta per month. The plant will create 100 direct and 300 indirect new jobs for the City of Cleburne and Johnson County.